Czech the World Wins Prestigious Golden Pen Award

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We’re still buzzing with excitement! When we received the invitation to a press trip in Croatia, we were thrilled, thinking we’d just enjoy a few nice days meeting tourism reps and fellow content creators. What we definitely didn’t expect was to come home with the top prize in the Golden Pen Award, one of the most respected travel journalism awards in the region.

That’s right—Czech the World took home the Grand Prix for Best Travel Blog at the 21st Zlatna Penkala awards, hosted by the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Ministry of Tourism and Sport. It was a total dream moment.

What’s the Golden Pen Award (Zlatna Penkala)?

The Zlatna Penkala (Golden Pen Award) is an annual recognition for the best foreign journalists, bloggers, and influencers whose articles, reports, and posts share the beauty of Croatia with the world. The jury selects winners in six categories – print, online, radio, TV, blog, and social media.

The Grand Prix, which we received, is the highest recognition in each category. That’s why we’re so honored that our article impressed the jury.

This marks only the third Grand Prix ever awarded to the Czech Republic since the award’s inception in 2004. The previous winners were Czech Television (J. Skalický, 2007) and TV Nova (V. Kouba, M. Hula, 2020).

The awards ceremony took place on April 10, 2025, in the scenic setting of the Kozlović Winery in Istria. A total of 28 media representatives from 15 countries were honored.

Czech the World Wins Prestigious Golden Pen Award

Who Else Received Awards?

The Grand Prix for Best Print Report went to Canadian journalist Vivian Vassos for an article inviting Canadians on an unforgettable journey along the breathtaking Adriatic coast.
Andrew Eames from the UK won the Best Online Article Grand Prix for a Times piece on Croatian sandy beaches, reaching 10 million readers and emphasizing unspoiled nature, crystal-clear waters, and a welcoming atmosphere.
French journalist Christophe Jicquel received the Radio Grand Prix for his show “Just Two Hours from Paris: Croatia!” which captivated French listeners with the country’s landscapes, history, and culture.
In the TV category, Polish journalists Piotr Maślak and Piotr Bartosz Gierzyński, along with cameraman Jakub Czyżewski, took the award for their program “Dancing with the World – Croatia”, highlighting the country’s top destinations with a focus on gastronomy and natural beauty.
In social media, the Grand Prix went to Hungarian influencer Luna Joanna Michelle for her vibrant Instagram and TikTok coverage of the joys of sailing in Croatia.

How It All Started…

When we received the email inviting us to Istria, we saw it as a lovely recognition of our long-term work. But a competitive gathering of the world’s best travel writers? Meeting reporters from Lonely Planet, Time, BBC…? We had no idea.

What followed was a heartwarming experience – the Croatian Tourist Board team took us to beautiful places: from the enchanting Grožnjan, to a wine tasting at Cattunar Winery, a truffle hunting and tasting at Karlić Tartufi, and finally, the award ceremony at Kozlović Winery.

We spent three amazing days on the Istrian coast, based in the picturesque town of Novigrad. We enjoyed incredible culinary experiences, and during this trip, we also created these articles:

The Ceremony at Kozlović Winery

We arrived at Kozlović Winery just in time for golden hour. The mood was festive – a toast, delicious canapés, lively conversations, and a quiet buzz of anticipation. We thought we were just attending as spectators.

And then it happened. We didn’t know that being nominated meant receiving the Golden Pen itself, let alone that we would win the Grand Prix – the top award! We looked at each other in disbelief, and moments later, we were accepting the prize from the hands of HTZ Director Kristjan Staničić.

It’s hard to describe that moment – pure emotion, immense joy, pride, and humility. We really didn’t expect it.

There were representatives from Lonely Planet, The Times, BBC… and then there was us and our “Czech the World”.

What This Means for Us

This award matters to us not just as recognition of our work, but also as proof that what we’re doing truly makes sense. Writing a quality travel guide takes time – planning, travel execution, and then carefully crafting a helpful, detailed article that offers real value: practical tips, warnings, and most importantly, beautiful places worth visiting.

We’ve been blogging since 2018, always with one goal in mind: to create useful, honest, and well-organized content to help other travelers. Wherever possible, we include maps to make things even clearer.

Having our work recognized on an international level is an enormous honor and a powerful motivation to keep going. And most importantly – this is also thanks to you. Without readers who read, share, comment, and find inspiration in our articles, none of this would be possible.

Thank you!

Wrote about the Golden Pen Award:

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